


Picky Hearts

by rowofstars



Series: Once Upon a Ficlet [5]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Ficlet, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2016-11-21
Packaged: 2018-09-01 05:42:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8610886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowofstars/pseuds/rowofstars
Summary: Prompted by sarashouldbestudying, For the Spite Prompt-a-Thon: an unusual proposal.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for the lovely prompt! I hope it meets with your approval.

“You can’t be serious.”

“Why not?”

Gold sighed. “Belle…”

She rolled her eyes. “Rum…”

“It’s just -,” he started, then he sighed again and leaned his head back against the sofa. “I mean, I’m -” He stretched a hand out, sort of vaguely indicating himself, as a whole.

“You’re what?” she asked, pushing herself more upright. She shifted and turned sideways on the couch so she could look at his face. “Going to be fifty tomorrow?”

Gold winced. “Don’t remind me, but yes.”

“So what?” she replied, pausing to take a sip from her wine glass. “I’m going to be thirty-four tomorrow. Neither of us is getting any younger, or less single. So why not get un-single together?”

At that he let out a short laugh. “Yes, well. When you put it like that it sounds _so_ obvious.”

Belle laughed, and then Gold laughed again, but after a few seconds they both trailed off into a strangely comfortable silence. 

“You’d really want to get married?” he asked. “To me?”

She shook her head. “I believe I did just ask _you_ to marry _me_ , so yes, that’s implied.”

It was Gold’s turn to roll his eyes. Then he leaned over and took her wine glass from her, tipping it back to drain the last of it into his mouth. “Yes, well, perhaps in the morning when you’re sober we’ll revisit this conversation.”

Then he set the empty glass on the side table and shifted in his seat. She smiled and lifted her hand from where it rested on the back of the sofa, brushing back his hair as he turned his head to look at her. It was one of those little things between them that they never talked about despite having been friends and neighbors for years now. The touches and gestures, the conversations late into the night that always ended reluctantly.

“I’m not drunk,” she said, pointedly. “And that’s not a no.”

He nodded and exhaled softly. “I don’t understand why though.”

Belle frowned. “Why what?”

“Why none of your relationships worked out?” he asked. “I mean, _George_? Yes, I think everyone understands why you wouldn’t want that cretin in your life, but Will? And Ruby? Sure she’s your best friend now, but you two seemed so lovely together.”

She shrugged. “Maybe I’m just picky.”

Gold snorted. “Right. That explains perfectly why you’d want to marry _me_.”

“Doesn’t it?”

His eyes went wide but she held his gaze, her lips pressing together nervously as she fiddled with the charms on the long necklace she wore.

Gold sat up straighter. “Belle? What are you saying?”

She shrugged and looked down at her hands until he said her name again, this time softer. She looked up and his face was so soft, his eyes so open that she felt this might be her only chance. Her lip trembled as she spoke. “Maybe - I mean -”

Then she took a breath and leaned in, pressing her lips to his for just a second. When she pulled back he looked stunned and amazed.

“Belle,” he sighed.

“Maybe it does explain it. Maybe none of them worked out because -” She stopped and smiled as tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. “Because they weren’t you.”

She was about to say something else but then he was kissing her, his hands cupping her face gently. He started to pull away, but her fingers slipping in his hair kept him in place for a little bit longer.

When they finally separated, she leaned her forehead against his, smiling. “So is that -?”

He interrupted her with another quick kiss. “Yes.”


End file.
